Walking
of the cubicle door she felt as if she would faint, she had just lied
to her best friend,that is why she left, he would have figured it
out. Nick would have put the puzzle together, realizing that the baby
was not Grissom's.

She
went to the desk, knowing that George was waiting for her in the ICU
waiting area, she needed to do one thing, she needed to leave Nick a
note,she had to tell him the truth and ask him to leave and never
look for her again, it would be the best thing for her and her baby.

Walking
back to the nurse's station she asked for a piece of paper and she
took out her pen, her hands shaking uncontrollably she wrote:

My
Dearest friend Nick

I
need you to go home. Always remember our friendship and how much I it
meant to me but you know that I need to move on with my life. I have
things that I want to get done and that includes teaching and
establishing a closer relationship with my mother. Finally being the
person I always wanted to be but was afraid to be.

Please
allow our friends to help you through this difficult time,they really
care about you and what happens to you, I know, I was there when you
went missing, buried alive, left to die. We all wanted what was best
for you but we saw how you suffered and how you changed afterwards.
They love you Nick, as much as I love you. Let them help you, allow
them to be there for you.

Nick,
I lied to you and I am ashamed that I did but the truth is that the
baby is not Grissom's. I lied because I did not want you to think bad
of me, to think I was someone who was capable of breaking one man's
heart for another.

Remember,
I will always love you as a brother. You were/are my best friend.
Help Grissom by being there for him, allowing him to grieve my
absence. You are the only one I can count on to do that, because the
one truth I absolutely know is that you have the heart of a saint and
the strength of a giant.

You
will always be my hero.

Love

Sara

P.S.
I will never tell you good-bye, because Good-bye is forever and I
plan on us seeing each other again someday.

She
folded the paper carefully and handed it to the nurse,"Please give
this Mr Stokes after I leave."

The
nurse smiled and took the paper and pointed towards Nick's cubicle,
"The doctor just went in to remove his tube."

"I
need to leave, tell the other CSI, George Meads that I had to leave,
tell him I took a cab." She looked around, "Is that the back
elevator out?"

"Yeah,
it is a direct connection to the emergency room."The nurse started
walking towards Nick's cubicle but turned to speak to a fleeing Sara
,"Is there anything else I should tell him?"

"Tell
him not to tell Grissom that he saw me." the sad look on her face
evident to the nurse.

"Okay."Nodding
confirmation that she would tell her friend, confused as to who she
was talking about.

Sara
went to the elevator and punched the number. When she entered she
could no longer hold back the tears,she really missed her friends but
she had to let them go,they would never understand.

CSI
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSIROCKS

Warrick
and Grissom stood patiently in the ICU waiting area to see if the
John Doe was their friend, a few others families were awaiting news
on their loved ones too.

Nick's
nurse came back to announce that they could visit and they had a
positive identification made, the John Doe was actually was Nick
Stokes.

A
look of total relief crossed their faces and they quickly stood to
walk into the ICU area, afraid to see what condition they might find
Nick in knowing that he had been shot.

She
waited until they left and motioned for George,"You partner left.
She said that she was going to take a cab back."

George
felt confused as to his partner's actions but he knew that she was
emotionally involved with the man in the ICU bed, maybe it was very
upsetting for her to see him, anyways he needed to get back to the
lab with the evidence. He thanked the nurse and headed out to his
car.

CSI
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSIROCKSCS

Nick
had just finished reading the letter, tears still evident on his
face, she had moved on with her life, she was well and she was
pregnant. He had to let her go, she had moved on with her life and
she was not ready to allow anybody back in at this time,the father of
her baby was only her business.

Nick
was about to close his eyes, the nurse had just given him something
for pain, He slid the letter underneath his pillow,and tried to
relax. He would call Grissom when he awakened.

"You
are such a bum." the familiar voice of Warrick Brown resounded
above him.

His
eyes flew open to see his boss and Warrick standing beside his
bed."How?" his voice cracking due to the tortuous tube he had
just gotten ridden of just minutes before.

"Well,
let's just say,we followed the evidence." Grisson flatly replied.

Nick
nodded his head, his hand reaching under the pillow to make sure the
letter was still there. "My vehicle." he grinned, the pain in leg
easing up just a little bit.

"Yeah,
we're just good, John Doe." Warrick emphasizing the new given name,
making fun of the fact that he was actually a John Doe.

"I
kinda like the name myself,it is more like me, humble." he smiled
at his friend.

"Nick
Stokes humble. Right." He paused and looked down at Nick's swollen
and wrapped leg,"That looks as if it might hurt a little bit."
Pointing to his leg.

"The
pain med is helping. When can I go home?" He asked to Grissom's and
Warrick's surprise.

"You
just got here last night. Did you find what you were looking for
already?" Grissom asked, wondering why he had changed his plans.

"I
think I found what I was looking for ." Nick responded. "As soon
as they will allow me to leave,I want to go home."

"I
will drive your car back, as soon as they process it. I like a good
road trip." Warrick volunteered.

Grissom
was suspicious of Nick's change of heart, it could have been the
robbery but he had a gut feeling that it was more than getting shot.

The
nurse walked back into the room,"Hey, you are doing great. We are
going to move you to a private room. You should be going to rehab
then home soon."

"Can
I do rehab when I return home, I really want to go home." Nick
practically was begging.

"I
am sure the doctors could answer that question better than I. I guess
that depends on how well you do here in the next couple of days."
The nurse continued.

"I
just want to go home." his words fading as the pain med gripped him
and pulled him under.

Warrick
and Grissom looked at each other in confusion. Why was Nick suddenly
in such a hurry to leave, it could be the trauma from being shot.
They both shook their heads and left to wait until Nick was moved to
a private room.

CSI
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSIROCKSCS

He
had been moved to a private room, the letter was tucked away in his
new duffel bag that Warrick had purchased along with underwear,socks,
a t-shirt which advertised the use of safe sex, Warrick's humor of
course and a new pair of jeans and a pair of fluffy slippers. Warrick
would pay as soon as he could manage a standing position.

Lawson
had come by that evening and got his statement, telling him that he
would not need to come back to testify but would have to go through
standard procedures to get his weapon back.

Now
he was lying quietly in bed, Warrick had taken his car back to Las
Vegas after promising to make no side trips to any of the local bars.

Grissom
would be back to assist him to the plane in the morning, he would be
flying to Las Vegas and transported to Desert Palms from there, per
Grissom's orders.

He
pulled out the letter again and started to read it to himself. He
would miss his friend, she was a part of him regardless of the
distance. She had secrets to keep and he would help her, he would be
there for Grissom. He would be there for their friend. He folded the
letter again and stuffed it back into the duffel bag, he was ready to
go home.

CSI
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSIROCKSCS

The
end

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